Jewelia expertly draws the line between surreal poetry and stark reality. It is a balance difficult to approach, and master. Her songs do both, with the plain, sparkly background of live instruments, creating something rich and detailed for each story she pens. This is her latest single, called The Best We Can.

With the instrumental highlights an expert way of navigating emotions, Jewelia knows exactly what a song needs. The chimes and creative pathways she takes make for a maudlin and enriching listen. The bridge to the chorus is one of my favourites in the year, trying to make the chorus unique but create a sequitur of cosmic proportions for the song. The strumming is still something that stays in the back of your mind, as the piano chords accent each line. For such a short song, it is incredible what her songwriting is able to achieve without compromising meaning and essence. The love song changes the way you look at the image, much more picturesque towards the end. 

A film this instantly reminded me of was Blue Valentine & The Ides of March. It displays an attempt at a relationship, the affection growing and waning-while the couple brings whatever their emotional spectrum is on the table. Jewelia has the talent for keeping these ideas real and with purpose-the messages ringing true but still arranged soulfully. You can hear more of these kinds of songs with her original No Lover, her cover of Sting’s Fields of Gold and even Second Best. Listen to her catalogue here: